From the Dark to the Light
by Vislyn Lana
Summary: A tale that weaves through the beginning of the award winning game, Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) and ends, who knows where. ;) Full of spoilers! (Gee. I like changing this thing a lot, don't I? :P)
1. Prologue

**Prologue: The Endar Spire**

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_ Do not hide from what you are; one cannot become something they are not. You will see the way._ __

Before her was a mirror, and there was a perfect reflection of her, down to the very last detail. Her large chestnut brown eyes flitted from feature to feature, and a dainty hand found itself reaching forward, fingers lightly touching against the glass, curiously feeling their way along. A gasp released from her vocals, and her hand retracted, curling itself against her chest in a fist. The image before the female was not her any longer, it couldn't be. A menacing grin held itself upon the other's lips.

"Who are you?!" The woman sobbed, choking back fears and unknown emotions; this was not her first encounter with this character, not the first and not the last.

"Who are you?" The reflection, still resembling this young woman down to the last detail, repeated, a mock tone being held within its vocals. The grin soon faded, and it's, or rather 'her' lips twisted into a near snarl, and before the she could withdraw a wisp of breath, the other was grasping onto the sides of her face, the chill touch bringing a shudder up and down her spine. Struggling, her hands clasping and clawing at the reflections', she would notice that the one that held her so easily did not make one attempt to struggle, she just laughed, mocked, and managed to sink her nails deep within her neck, causing her to flinch back in pain. "You will-…"

Blank. The image was gone, and only a void of oblivion took its place. The pain subsided, and she was no longer in the horrors of the former entrapment. She was free, until the next time. The very thought of 'next time' brought her into a cold sweat, the dreams always revealed a little more than the last, piece by precious, painful piece.

Shuddering at the afore mentioned, as well as tossing and turning, blankets entangled around bare legs, the young female groaned in her sleep, mumbling unheard words and phrases all the while. It would have been quite obvious to anyone within the quarters that she was in the midst, or was, of a most unpleasant nightmare, worse than those that usually jumbled inside her confused mind.

Barely able to awaken herself, this being the most sleep she had managed for days; she opened brown eyes slowly, waiting for them to allow some sort of focus. Just as soon as she would do so, her other senses would kick in. The ship shook, and the familiar sound of her quarter's door "whooshing" open rang in her ears. Putting two and two together, eyes still blurry from tears and sleep alike, she figured this could be a threat, and quickly rolled off her bunk with cat-like grace. With a quick movement of her hand, she grasped the blaster which lay on the night stand next to her bed, and aimed it towards the figure standing in the door way. He was gawking at her crouching small frame.

"Hold up!" He said, his voice seeming panicked. "We're on the same side, can't you tell by my attire? We're both Republican soldiers."

Eyeing him, she quirked a brow. _He is in Republican attire…_ Pursing her lips, she lowered her weapon of choice, slowly lifting herself onto her feet. She was certainly not a woman of a tall or boisterous stature, why, she could've been no taller than 5'3, one could almost call her dainty. "I apologize, I heard the crashes, and I thought we were under attack… Again, I'm sorry." Paired eyes lowered, and she gave a shake of her head. _These dreams are getting the best of me._

"You were right to make accusations, and you were right with your assumption." She gave him a look, curious and bewildered, and awaited further explanation. "The Sith. They're attacking the Endar Spire; they're attacking this vessel." The man, this man she did not recognize, spoke in such a matter of fact tone that it could almost be considered frightening. Though, the young woman decided to keep her comments about this to herself.

"We're under attack? By the Sith? Here? Why? Pointless slaughter?" This was the way of the Sith, how she despised them and their kind. They were despicable.

"Pointless slaughter? Ha! Where have you been, Missy?" She frowned at the name, but he continued on despite her obvious disapproval. "Bastila Shan is on the Endar Spire. _Bastila!_" The name seemed all too familiar to the woman, her eyes widened at the very thought of this Jedi being taken hold of by the Sith. The evils they could perform if they were to use her own powers against the Republic themselves. Guessing Trask knew exactly what she was thinking by the way he gave her a nod, she again tuned in and listened. "We must get our behinds in gear. We _must_ do our part before something horrid takes place. Something that could bring the Republic to its downfall."

"Agreed." Licking her dry lips and running a hand over her forehead, pushing unruly strands of hair from her line of vision, she turned, opening her footlocker and exposing the contents inside. A bright colour flustered her cheeks, she had just now come to the realization that she was only partially clothed, what good would a half naked scout be to Bastila or the Endar Spire? Not much, she guessed. "Could you… uh…" A glance was thrown over her shoulder towards the male soldier, and it would appear to her that he was confused, and she rolled her eyes. "Turn around. I need to dress."

"Oh," He quickly turned on his heels, she could've sworn that he lost his balance for a minute, and she smirked, but she would make no remark. This wasn't the time, really.

"Thanks." With as much speed as she could muster, trying to make haste, she took out a pair of black slacks, her boots and a matching sleeveless top, throwing them atop her bunk. She quickly got dressed, slender digits almost appearing to dance as they tied up her top, slacks and each boot. It was quite apparent that she was nimble, and it was just another thing she was proud of. "By the way, what's your name, soldier?" Her voice seemed only half attentive, yet polite. She had always known herself to be one for small talk.

"Trask. And yours, Missy?" He smirked, but her glare would knock the look right off his lips in and instant.

"Vislyn Lana. You may call me Vislyn." Her own expression was swept away from her face, and now a grin took its place. After finishing tying her left boot, she again grabbed her blaster, walking up to the side of this Trask, he seemed to smile at her friendly remark.

"I shall remember that, _Vislyn._" The ship shuddered under the heavy fire which was being sent it's way. Vislyn braced herself, pushing her side against the nearby wall to retain balance, while Trask muttered curses under his breath. "We should get going now. The sooner we get to the bridge, the better. Come on!" Vislyn merely nodded, following instep with the older man towards the doorway, well aware of the undeniable truth that this could very well be her last battle. A last stand against the Sith, perhaps, or possibly a new beginning.

"Carth Onasi, reporting." Pride of the Republic, vigilant hero, decorated soldier; he was known as all these things and more. Though, he preferred "Carth" above all else. He raised his hand in a salute, his body straightened before he took on a more relaxed position after his commanding officer informed him to be "at ease". Carth, the brown haired, brown eyed Republican pilot surveyed the officer, listening to the much older man's words.

"We need as much men as possible to get off the Endar Spire with safe passage." A hand raised against his shaven chin, fingers tapping against long since wrinkled skin. "The pods will have to do. Now, I know not everyone will make it out alive, but some will." Carth nodded, practically knowing just what was to come next. _Here it comes,_ he thought, absently tapping his fingers to his holsters which held paired blasters. "Carth, you will be one of the last to get off." _Knew it._ "You will be the one to save the last pod for any possible survivors. Good luck, son." Once again, Carth nodded, watching as those that were once part of the vessel's crew made their hasty escape, hoping to keep their lives intact.

The pilot sighed, turning his back to the survivors of what seemed like an already lost battle. _They may have won the battle, but they have not yet won the war._ Bastila was off the ship, free from the grasp of the Sith, for now at least. But he couldn't help but feel remorse, all the people on the Endar Spire that had died just because they wanted to catch a single woman, a single Jedi. The battle meditation was worth it, he knew, but all the innocents surrounding her whom were being slaughtered… It just seemed wrong. To him at least. Perhaps he was just showing a soft side, perhaps not.

These thoughts were brought to an abrupt end as another blast shook the bulk of the Endar Spire, causing Carth to fall to a knee. With a grimace he stood. "Now is as good of time as any." He muttered under his breath, bringing himself towards a single computer console in the escape pod area. With a cool presence, he began clicking in codes and soon enough the screen flickered with a remarkable amount of streams of information. His eyes scanned over the familiar patterns before finding the correct one; the Endar Spire's vitals and life support systems. His fingers tapped keys and soon enough another stream of information covered the screen, though Carth was most disheartened at what he saw.

The phrase "deceased" continued to appear after the many names that appeared on screen, not once had he seen where there was a simple "intact". A frown lingered across his lips, and his eyes went dull. _This was no fight. This was a slaughter._ A fist slammed itself down upon the console, and he would come to find this was not a very wise choice. The piece of modern technology buzzed and whistled, and Carth even managed a wince at a few snaps and crackles. What did it matter? The ship was going down no matter what, and there were, obviously, no other survivors. A sigh heaved his chest, and his eyes cast downward towards the floor for a moment of silence, though it would be interrupted.

The 'war hero' shot his gaze upward, towards the console, various amounts of beeps and clicks echoed throughout the room from the computer, and the blue screen flashed from bright blue to a dim navy. Confused and most curious, Carth made his way to the console, eyeing the information which set itself so boldly on the screen. _Two intact soldiers, two personnel, two from the Republic… two crew alive._ Carth grinned, so they weren't all dead, there was a chance for him to help these two. The screen flashed and buzzed once more, just before his fingers reached the panel, and the screen flickered. Reading the information, he clenched his fist. "Dead… there's still one left. And he's heading this way." Carth didn't mind speaking to himself, not when he was alone, at least.

Turning on the security cameras, he watched the surrounding areas of the escape pod sector. _Surrounded by Sith._ He muttered distastefully, this probably wouldn't be an easy task for a single soldier to carry out. "Hmm…" Scratching at his bearded chin, a habit he had never dropped throughout the years, he started typing codes into the console, sending commands through the system. _If I can get in touch with this character perhaps I can help._ He did have an advantage, after all, he knew where all the enemies were and he _knew _this would prove to be useful.

Tapping the last button, he crossed his fingers, hoping he didn't cause this console _too_ much damage. The screen went blank, and he cursed, "Dammit!" A variety of beeps and tones sounded, and suddenly the screen flickered, buzzed and the fuzzy image of a young woman flashed on the console, she wasn't looking at the device, and it seemed as though she was trying to keep a low profile; she didn't say a single word. He had to admit to himself, he was a bit surprised this survivor was a woman. He didn't exactly know why.

Breaking the silence, he spoke into the console's communicator, "This is Carth Onasi of the Republic Fleet." There was a motion on the screen, he guessed from the unclear image that she was nodding; now he knew she could hear and acknowledge. Thus, he continued, "We're the last of the survivors on the Endar Spire." He saw a wince on her part, but decided not to comment. They had to get down to business. "We _have_ to get off this ship. If we don't the Sith are just going to blow it to smithereens with us on it." He threw a glance to the images of security cameras, "There's Sith just ahead of you, I suggest you find a way to avoid fighting. I refuse to lose anymore of the crew. Once you turn right, move ahead and there should be a room with two Sith. Find a way to take care of them and then use the Endar's defense systems to your advantage. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure I got it." The woman pushed dark brunette locks from her face and withdrew a breath. "We'll speak again when I get there." She paused, frowning. "And I _will_ get there." The screen went blank, _She must've turned off her communicator. The sooner she gets here, the better._

Clicking buttons on the panel, the console screen flickering, he enlarged the security camera images. Watching intently, he saw… nothing. Was she killed just after the communicator went out? Again, he found himself clenching his fists. Anticipation and adrenaline coursed through his veins, and his eyes flitted to something curious. A door slid open, but there was no one in front of it. _A cloaking device! Ingenious._ A grin broadened his features, and he watched as the Sith seemed to investigate the door. They must've thought of it as a malfunction, because it wasn't soon before they returned to their posts, armor glistening from the florescent lights above. Suddenly, he watched as the droid behind them lifted its head, and began blasting at the enemy; the Sith.

Soon after the Sith were disposed of by the patrol droid, the outline of a small framed woman became visible, she _had_ used a cloaking device. The device wore off, and now she was completely visible. Watching intently, Carth wondered what her next move would be. She moved towards the door, placing her fingers to the alloy, and they trailed along the panel which would allow entry to the next room. Her head turned, however, and she stepped back from the door. She raised her blaster, her weapon as he had now noticed, and aimed towards the panel. The droid stood at her side, and Carth could only guess what she would do. Leaning forward, he waited. What was she waiting for? Perhaps she was nervous.

His eyes shifted, and the looked to the room separating the two of them. There was no doubt in his mind that both the droid and the recruit could handle themselves, but perhaps it would be best if he were to lend some aid. Turning off the console, as it had no further use to him, he moved towards the door, long strides carrying him there with ease.

His hand was just inches away from the panel before the rumble from an explosion shook the door. Blaster fire could be heard now, and the voices of Sith shouting, yelling and screaming came to ear. Quickly, he pushed his palm to the panel and removed his blasters from their holsters, fingers pressed over the triggers. A shout emitted from his vocals, but he didn't even get to release a single blast. The last Sith fell to the cold, metal floor in a crumpled form, a shell of his former proud self.

Closing his mouth, lowering his blasters to his sides, Carth coughed. The woman, the recruit, narrowed her eyes and a look of amusement was now painted across her features, from what he could see. "Er… Glad to see you made it." His gaze flitted around the room, from body to body. "Also glad you can take care of yourself." She frowned, making no comment. With that, he holstered his weapons and waved her into the pod room. She followed, reluctantly at that.

"This is the last pod?" She asked, and he nodded. "We're the last…?" Again, he nodded.

Carth eyed her for a few moments, not recognizing her. Perhaps she was a last minute transfer; he shrugged it off, however, at the feeling of the rumbling of the Endar Spire. This was it, any longer and they would surely not make it off the pained vessel. "Come on, get in the pod. I'll explain things later…" He reached for her arm, but she stepped away.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"We're both soldiers here, come now, we don't have much time." He stepped closer, reaching to pull her into the pod, but she side-stepped him with liquid grace, admirable if not irritating.

"And what of Bastila? Trask said…"

"She's off the ship, she's safe… for now, something I cannot say for us." This time he was persistent, he grasped her arm and with ease pulled her into the escape pod, pushing her into a seat quickly, closing the only exit to the pod with one hand while seating himself and buckling in with the other. With a fist, he punched his fist into yet another panel, and immediately he could feel they were making their exit. Clenching his teeth, he grasped the hand bar at the ceiling of the pod. His knuckles whitened from his grip, but this was not going to be a pleasant ride. He looked to his new companion, she was speechless. She fumbled around with the buckle and soon found her hands at the sides of the pod, trying to keep herself from being jostled around.

"We're entering the atmosphere! We're almost in!" Carth shouted above the clatter of the pod, but it didn't seem like the woman was paying him any mind. Her eyes were caught on one of the "windows" of the pod. It was as if she had seen her own ghost, perhaps it was some sort of frightening "déja vu". "Hold on!" The pod twirled, the temperature rising within.

Turning his head, looking out from the pod, was Taris, though it was whirled together, a pool of mixed buildings and colours. No longer could he see clearly, the pod seemed to be spinning out of control. With a grimace, Carth looked towards the other, her eyes were closed and her complete body was tensed. "Welcome to Taris!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, though he wasn't at all too sure if she was aware of him speaking. "Enjoy your stay…" He mumbled, also closing his eyes for the incoming impact.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: A Simple Beginning**

****

"Ugh…" The Republican pilot, Carth, groaned as his eyelids fluttered open, his vision was blurred and it seemed like he'd been out for hours, when in reality it had only been minutes. Lifting his hands from his lap, as they had long been off the bar above, he unbuckled himself and rubbed at his eyes, blinking once or twice to get the most out of his vision.

Easing himself forward from the seat, he shook his head. _They'll be on us in minutes._ Carth Onasi focused his eyes on the limp form before him, the recruit he did not yet know the name of. Her body was motionless, at first he would think she lacked breath, but eyeing her closely would allow him to realize she was alive, not exactly well, however. After examining her frame, he would notice how loose the buckles were of the seat where she was placed. He frowned, if only he had gotten her aboard the pod sooner, perhaps they wouldn't be in this predicament.

He would think on this later, perhaps, at the moment he had his mind more stuck on how he was going to get the two of them out of this mess, and without anyone noticing them. Pursing his lips, he extended both appendages towards the young woman, unbuckling her. Sliding both hands over her arms he pulled her small frame into him, and stood, picking her up with no trouble at all.

After surveying the inside of the pod, not allowing himself to leave anything behind, he exited the pod with as much stealth as he could muster, luckily it was the dead of night and there seemed to be few and far between Sith patrols, but there was a grouping of people gathering, and soon it would be a overzealous crowd.

Quickly, he made his way to the nearest building; apartments, he guessed. He stuck to the shadows while nearing closer and closer, figuring the Sith would find it suspicious that he was carrying around the limp form of a woman around the area of where a pod had just dropped from the heavens above moments before. Suspicious, indeed.

He edged towards the doors, entering as they automatically slid open. Shifting his weight, getting a better hold of the woman, he threw a glance over his shoulder. _Perfect._ A certain door had caught his attention, and he edged closer. The sign upon it read, "Evicted." This was just what he needed to hear, or rather, read. "What are the chances of that…" He mumbled; he hadn't had such luck since, well, ever. He shrugged off the feeling and eyed the door, "This could get a little more-…"

Carth turned quickly at a tap on his shoulder, he would've jumped had he not had self control. "Why, hello there." Before him was a feeble old man, as Carth eyed him from head to toe he would make a guess that he was possibly some sort of servant for the building, a janitor perhaps.

"Uh, er… Greetings." Carth gave a slight nod of his head; he would've shaken the man's hand to be friendly if it wouldn't involve having to juggle the woman.

"What you got there?" The elderly man eyed the young woman, tapping a boney and liver spotted finger against his chin. "Late night? Need some rest?" He winked, "Your lady can't hold her drink too well?"

Carth found himself nodding along to every question the elderly man posed. "We need somewhere to stay, you see. We were kicked out of the Cantina for," He forced a chuckle, shifting his weight as the woman groaned, pressing her cheek against his chest. "who knows how many times." He grinned, and the old man returned quite the similar expression.

"You got a friend who lives in these here apartments?" The elderly man's expression crinkled into a sort of suspicion, his eyes not leaving Carth once.

"Of course I do!" Carth exclaimed, releasing a bit of a chuckle. "Why else would I be here?" There was a hint of uncertainty in his vocals, though he was positive the old man didn't catch it.

"I see… well, don't go disturbing others in the building with any drunken antics." The suspicion was vanquished by that bold grin once more.

"You can bet your bottom dollar I won't be, sir." Carth said truthfully, tiring of carrying the woman. The old man had begun to hobble away, saying a short farewell over his shoulder. Carth watched, mindlessly, until the man had turned the corner a short distance away. He breathed, _Too close._ He put the nameless woman down upon the cold floor, reaching into one of the packs which had been slung over his shoulder, shuffling through the contents inside. It wasn't his, no, it was the other's. Finally his hands found something of use. From the fabricated pack he pulled out a single piece of wiring. Lifting it to eyelevel, examining, would prove it was some form of pick. He eyed the female at his side carefully. _Ask questions later._ Precipitously, he worked on the lock, cursing at failed attempts until he at last slid open, it didn't do so easily and would emit a few clicks and tones, but it did so none the less. Carth, again, picked up the form of the woman, taking her inside before closing the door behind him. He viewed the room.

The barren walls were painted a bright, and somewhat tacky, scarlet, and the flooring as much the same. Oddly enough there was a workbench; Carth figured they could make use of it during their short stay. He hoped it would be short, at least. There were but two beds, two footlockers on each side of the room, a door which Carth guessed led to the "bathroom" vicinity and a table directly in the middle. "It'll do." He nodded to himself, looking down to the peacefully unconscious woman.

Placing her upon one of the two beds, pulling a single and dusty cover over her form to keep her from the chill, he watched her curiously for a few moments. _Who is she?_ She didn't look at all familiar to him, yet he'd seen most of the grunts. This was going to cause him some annoyance. She was quite the pretty thing, he thought to himself, beautiful… gorgeous even. She didn't look like, from size and facial features, she was the type to fight. Yet, she handled herself perfectly well on the Endar Spire. Now this curiosity was burning a hole through him. _Where had she been trained? Where was she from? What are her specialties? _His lips pursed, he _was_ going to be working with her after all. He should know some background information.

Then it came to him, _the datapads._ He picked up one of the packs which he had so diligently taken from the crash site, and sifted through the items. Upon retrieving a datapad, which appeared to be hers, he skimmed through some minor information about her, nothing too important and huge on the scale. Her name was Vislyn Lana; she was recruited into the Endar Spire at the last moment because of her scouting abilities. She was ten years his junior, making her twenty-eight, and was from the planet Naboo. Sitting himself down at the table, he continued to read through her service records, learning more and more about this mysterious 'Vislyn Lana'.

It seemed like he'd only been reading for an hour, but in reality it was about five, there were records upon records of useless information that he felt intrigued and inclined to read. Placing the datapad upon the table, he ran a hand over his face, a yawn escaping parted lips. Both arms stretched themselves out, and soon enough he would find himself upon the bed opposite to Vislyn's, dead asleep.

"N-no… Go a-away! I… you… NOOOooo!"

Carth shot up, reaching for both his blasters at the screams and commotion. He never did grasp those blasters, and he wouldn't have either. He crawled out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he watched Vislyn, the once peaceful woman, toss and turn, tangling herself within her sheets. Her face was covered in a cold sweat, he could see, and he features would twist into those of a tortured soul now and then as she struggled endlessly.

He reached forward, though just as he did she stopped abruptly, laying there, panting, yet still within that deep sleep. "Perhaps she has a high fever…" Carth whispered, soaking a cloth within the bathroom before placing it upon the woman's head delicately. She sighed just as he had done so, and her breathing slowed to it's usual pace. He sat down, watching for close to an hour before he felt it was alright to leave her be for awhile.

With one final glance in her direction, he exited the apartment, and the apartment complex, with intentions of scouting out the surrounding area.

Carth's hands sunk into his pockets, his walk was casual and his expression was neutral. He didn't know this planet very well, but what he did know disturbed him. A lovely city above, beautiful scenery and rich snoots, prepared to snub anyone 'below' them, lower cities filled with gangs and, of course, the Under City, not much did he know about that, perhaps he didn't want to know.

Morning had just set in and the first hustle and bustle of people had just appeared. People, of all 'rich' class, he was sure, surrounded the pod, yet Sith demanded they go elsewhere, he guessed they were pilfering what Republic information they could get from the damned thing. Carth really didn't need to know anything more about the pod that he himself, and Vislyn, had crashed upon the planet on, so he moved on, trying not to look too conspicuous with the paired blasters at his sides.

There wasn't much to learn about Taris, at least not where Carth was searching. There were a few thugs, here and there, shady characters hiding under the shadows of towering buildings, and Sith patrolling back and forth, back and forth. It was actually quite dull, a disappointment even. There was no information, either. Asking around about Republic space pods was like asking a bantha how many toes it had. Frowning, Carth made his way back to the apartment complex, in no hurry or rush, yet eager to see if this Vislyn had awakened as of yet.

"Get a glimpse of this guy." Carth heard the comment over his shoulder, but didn't bother turning around. It probably wasn't directed at him, anyway.

Another voice sounded, "Hey! Look. What a coward, just keep on walking, buddy." The two voices, different in many ways, molded into one fit of laughter.

"Just look at those awful clothes, must be trash from the lower city." Now he was slowing his pace, turning slowly to face the two who were not but a few metres away.

"He must think he's a big man, holding those two blasters like that." The shorter of the two chuckled, his expression was of mock disgust towards the Republican soldier. "Oh look, he's turned around. Ooohhh! Big man, big man. What you going to do? Dirt us to death?" Both of them burst into yet another fit of laughter, Carth failed to see how these cheap jokes were so hilarious. He merely quirked a brow, _I suppose the high-class folk need their entertainment as well._

The other, lithe and quite pale looking, broke away from the laughter, sneering at the one who was 'beneath him'. "You're not welcome up here, scum. These are our streets, Sith blockade or no. Go back to the lower city where your trash belongs."

"You tell him, Yavik!"

Carth eyed both of them, left to right, up and down, and finally released a chuckle, stepping closer to them. "Look. I'm not here to start trouble, but obviously you are. Why don't you go home and hide under Daddy's pile of credits and let the real men, the men who can actually make a living, 'own the streets'." He snorted, taking another step closer as the two opposing took a step back.

"You… you… Argh!" Yavik fumbled over words before lunging at Carth, taking a swing at his jaw. But Carth saw it coming, and he'd ducked just in time. The young man tripped over himself, falling onto the ground behind him, and he shook his head.

"Headstrong kids these days, when will you learn?" Yavik's friend dare not approach, he just muttered unheard curses and insults in the pilot's direction, and he simply shrugged. Turning back in the direction he was headed, towards the apartments, Carth continued on, whistling a familiar tune all the while. He would stay by Vislyn's bedside, until she was well enough to go with him.

* * *

The slicing of lightsabres colliding with each other sounded, the buzzing seemingly driving into her brain; Vislyn's brain. She was not there, however, it was as if she was a disembodied presence, watching, waiting, observing, even if she had no urge to do so. Two Jedi, one clothed in garments of tans and browns and the other in the darkest of ebony and grey, fought between the two, showing extreme skill in handling a lightsabre, if it were possible, Vislyn would have stared in awe.

Their faces were unclear, one being shadowed behind a hood and the other not being visible or clear in any point of time for Vislyn to see, it didn't matter, she supposed, or did it?

The two continued their battle, ducking and rolling, leaping and kicking, until the better of the two triumphed. With a single stroke, the one donning browns and tans cut down the other Jedi, the Dark Jedi. Her face was more clear now, more familiar, as if she'd seen it many times before. Again, Vislyn was unsure if this mattered or not, so she didn't think another thing of it. The face, that of a woman around her own age, wasn't even flustered, and she appeared to open her mouth to speak but again, the image was lost, the dream subsided and Vislyn found herself in a void of darkness.

A chill ran through her body, and she stiffened. _So cold… so alone._ She thought to herself, unable to see a thing. But no, a face emerged from the darkness. That face, that oh so familiar and dreaded face. Her face. Her breathing quickened and she took a step back. "Get out of my head. GET OUT!"

That menacing laugh rang through all corridors of her very mind; it tormented her, an endless torture, just the very sound of the voice. She opened her mouth to scream, but her eyelids fluttered open, and she was suddenly free.

The room was a complete blur, all she could make out were the colours scarlet and metallic grey. This was unfamiliar to her, she had no idea where she was. Was she safe? Was she away from the horrid dreams? She shook her head, allowing her eyes to focus as she sat up in the bed. The sound of a chair creaking caused her to cock her head, falling into a defensive crouch after jumping off the bed. Actually, she made the attempt at the crouch, but was still in the midst of a daze. In fact, the room seemed to be a swirl of colours around her, in which case lead to her demise; she stumbled over her own two feet, tripped and toppled over herself.

She groaned, rubbing at a lump on the back of her head. It throbbed as her fingers made contact, causing her to flinch in pain. Eyelids fluttered open, at last, and she heaved a long breath, looking up as the image cleared ahead of her, eyes focusing. The man standing over her, donning what looked like Republican colours in an unobvious way, looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't place where she'd first seen him.

Vislyn noted that he looked confused yet entertained at her clumsy attempt at a defensive stance; she also noted that he made no attempt to grab the two blasters at his sides. But, they were there nonetheless, and he could use them if he saw the chance. "Good to see you up, instead of thrashing about in your sleep." He narrowed his eyes, slowly edging away from the table, she guessed he was trying to prove he had nothing to hide. "You must have been having one hell of a nightmare."

Vislyn was silent, she just stared at him, bewildered and confused well beyond disbelief.

"You," The man smirked, resting his chin upon his knuckles. "You don't remember me do you? Carth Onasi ring any bells? I-…"

"You were the one on the communicator, the one from the pod. _Carth Onasi_." Vislyn gave a shake of her head, brushing dark locks away from her cheeks. She pushed herself onto her knees, staring up with the same expression of bewilderment.

Carth nodded, waving her towards a seat. Vislyn stood, attempting to ignore the impeccable urge to vomit, edged closer and sat back in one of the seats, watching as he did the same. "You hit your head pretty hard in the crash; it appeared that you weren't buckled in very well. That's partially my fault," Vislyn quirked a brow, awaiting explanation. "I, uh… should've gotten you in sooner. We might not have been so rushed had we had the time."

"Ha." Both Carth's eyebrows raised and Vislyn leaned forward, resting a cheek against a single hand. "I don't recall much about the pod and our escape, but from what I remember it was my fault for taking so long. I barraded you with endless questions." Carth made no comment, just smirked. Vislyn, again, found herself rubbing at the 'goose egg' atop her skull.

He kept his eyes on her at all times, Vislyn didn't necessarily feel uncomfortable under his chocolate brown gaze, but she barely knew him, and it was as if he was already wary of her. "Now," Vislyn cocked her head, listening to him. "I'm assuming you're feeling better? You're finally awake, after two days of non-stop rest, so I'm positive that's a good thing."

"Two days?!" She decided against whining about the bump, having doubt that it would make any difference.

He nodded, again a look of amusement befalling his features. "Indeed. I didn't want to wake you. The most I felt I was right in doing was watching over you, making sure you didn't tumble off the bed and placing wet cloths on your forehead when you looked ill." Vislyn was thankful for that, and she gave a grateful smile; an unsaid 'thank you'. Though, she was still upset that they had wasted two days for her sake. Yet, she wasn't quite sure what their time should have been consumed of.

"You look… confused." Carth noted, tapping his fingers against the table as if he had all the time in the world to explain. "Questions, Vislyn?"

Vislyn narrowed her eyes, a suspicious glint in her eyes. "The only question I will pose for the moment is just how exactly do you know my name? I don't ever recall telling you," She paused before adding, "and you might as well go through what we're supposed to be doing on this rock, while you're at it."

Carth expression hadn't changed, and this furrowed Vislyn's brow. _She _was not amused. "What?" He looked over one of his shoulders, then the other. "Me?" He was obviously suppressing laughter. "Why are you giving me such looks?"

She sighed, rolling large eyes heavenwards. "Just answer the questions, Carth."

"Right, uh…" He seemed fazed under her glare, but cleared his throat and straightened up with a grin. "Well. I discovered your name from that little fantastic piece of technology," He waved his hand indirectly towards a lone datapad which lay atop the table. "I was curious as to why I'd never seen you aboard the Endar Spire, but I was just an advisor, basically, whilst on that vessel." A frown touched his lips now, as if he was thinking back, Vislyn was curious but she wouldn't let it show through. He continued, "We're on this 'rock', as you called it, to find Bastila. And we cannot leave due to certain Sith blockade."

"Hmm?"

"They're, the Sith, aren't allowing entrance nor exit to Taris for the time being. I'm assuming they're doing this to make searching for the Jedi Bastila all the more easy."

"How do we even know if she's alive or not?" Vislyn bit her lip, she hoped Carth would give her a straight answer. If she wasn't alive, what hope would there be for the Republic?

Carth was silent for a moment; he scratched his chin and seemed to be within deep thought. "Well, I can't be sure…" Vislyn sighed deeply. "Though, she _iis/i_ a Jedi. The "force" gives them immense powers, immense powers that we most likely will never understand. I doubt, highly, that she's dead. And I'm positive we should get right on with looking for her."

Vislyn raised her head away from her hand, sitting the posture as she narrowed her eyes. "Did you get any leads in those past two days that I was out like a light?"

"I did talk to some of the locals." He winced, Vislyn was at a loss of knowing why. "They don't exactly like outsiders. Or rather, they don't exactly like outsiders that don't have the most credits." Vislyn rolled her eyes at the very thought, yet urged him on. "What I did find out, even after being insulted to the brink of my sanity," He gave a snort, "Is that there were more pods that crashed, down in the lower city or was it the under city?" Carth lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. Vislyn opened her mouth to speak, but Carth cut her off. "We should look around the upper city first. It would be wise if we do."

Reluctantly, she answered. "Alright." Pushing herself away from the table and chair alike, she ruffled her hair, her lip almost curling with disgust. "Though, first, I demand that I get myself cleaned up." She began making her way to what she assumed was the doorway to the bathroom, but tossed a glance over her shoulder towards Carth. "You should too." She sniffed, wrinkling her nose before making a playful exit into the well lit bathroom vicinity. _I'm almost positive his sniffing his armpits now_. She chuckled, turning on the water to prepare for a long relaxation before they would begin their "mission".


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Getting Acquainted**

Vislyn Lana, clean, sprightly and refreshed, stepped out of the now open doorway, Carth following close at her side. Peering over both slender shoulders, eyes scanning the near empty hallways, save for a box or two here and there. "Where do you suggest we start?" She questioned, pitching a curious look towards Carth.

He shrugged, "Perhaps we should further our exploration of this apartment, hm?" It was obvious that Vislyn was in complete agreement with the pilot, for she gave a firm nod and began a slow paced, casual walk down the empty halls of the complex, eyeing doors to her right, though deciding against barging in. It would've been rude as well as unacceptable, she was positive if there were beings inside them sure as hell wouldn't appreciate the barging in of complete strangers, they might even think they were attempting a raid on them.

She would continue her slow paced walk, half attentive towards the sights and surroundings, as she was in deep thought. This was all quite confusing to her, it seemed like just moments ago that she was on the Endar Spire, awakened by Trask, and following closely on his heels as they were making an escape, trying to get to the bridge, and then eventually trying to proceed towards the pods. But no, she was the only one who had made it to Carth, and she was sure she didn't deserve to be here. Why, she was but a new recruit on the Spire, Trask was a seasoned soldier. He shouldn't have sacrificed himself in order to hold off that Dark Jedi, that servant to the Sith. It made her heart sink, she couldn't help but feel guilty, though she had a feeling inside that the confrontation with such a Jedi was not meant to be at the time. Perhaps another time. _Perhaps._

"Alien scum," The voice, cold and cruel, caught Vislyn's attention. She brought both her and Carth to a halt, observing the scene ahead. "You shouldn't even be in Upper Taris, go back to where your slime belongs. Vermin." A gathering was ahead, a group of two Duros, two droids and one man. The man caught her attention first, he was in the garb of a Sith soldier. She expected as much, just from the tone of his voice and the way he held his stature. As if he was above everyone else. _Hmph._

"Please," One of the Duros begged in his native tongue, hands cupping themselves in a pleading gesture. "I don't want to die, we have done nothing to you! Please…" He reached into his pocket, pulling out credits. He held them in trembling hands; an offering to the Sith.

The Sith eyed him, still taking no notice of the new observers. He laughed, placing a hand to his jostling stomach. "We'll take the credits." With a snap of his thick fingers, one of the droids gathered the 'coin' from the alien. "Though, we will still take your lives, scum." He grinned, and both the Duros stepped back, the only armed one reaching for a blade which sat in a silken sheath at his side.

"Hey!" Vislyn finally shouted, reaching for a holstered blaster, Carth did much the same. With nimble fingers she brought the weapon out, aiming directly towards the Sith slime ball ahead of her, eyes narrowing to slits. "I think it would be best if you left these to fellows alone, don't you think?" From the corner of her eye she noticed Carth had a pair of blasters raised, and he'd taken on a more defensive stance. It was so natural that she assumed the pilot had done this many a time before.

Both droids turned on their heels, gears and joints clicking as they raised their blasters towards the two, Vislyn nor Carth flinched. The uniformed Sith turned his head to view the pair, a smirk slithering across his thin lips. He raised a heavy blaster in both hands, and released a malicious chuckle. "Oh? Why should I?" Both of his eyes narrowed much the same as Vislyn's. "They're scum, alien lover. And so are you." He turned back to the pair of Duros, nonchalantly leaving his back open for attack. He raised his blaster towards one of the trembling aliens, and Vislyn's eyes widened. Pressing her finger down on the trigger would release a blast of energy towards the bastard, but the shot was not well enough. One of the Sith's droids jumped behind the man, blocking the shot by taking it in his own metal hide. Though, it would not be enough to bring the bucket of bolts to the ground. All blasters were raised now, and shots were being fired from both sides, Vislyn rolled to the side and Carth sidestepped himself to the wall, finding himself a bit of cover in a doorway.

A scream sounded, and Vislyn heard a _thud_. She could only guess this was the sound of one of the Duros dropping to the ground in death. The scout gave a shout, and lunged forth, blasting repeatedly at the Sith as he began a fight with the last Duros. Carth gave her cover fire, it seemed, seeing as how the droids could not bring her down though she was an easy target. Her arm tensed and she continued firing, watching as the Sith almost hissed in pain, tumbling to the floor with his last draw of breath. Vislyn, too, withdrew a breath, quickly pointing the blaster to both sides of her. Though, there were no more enemies. Lowering her gaze to the floor would have her notice two piles of smoking and partially melted metals. _Carth handles those blasters well,_ she thought, absently pushing tresses away from her vision, as she did so often. She snuck a glance at the man who had saved her behind more than once as he stepped forth from the protective doorway. He holstered both his blasters, she did the same. He must've decided he'd allow her to do the talking, she guessed, because he made no move to be the first to confront the now injured, yet alive nonetheless, Duros. _iAlright,/i_ she thought, stepping ahead at a slow and easy pace, _Here I go._

She stopped directly in front of the teal, large eyed being, extending a dainty hand in an act of peace; a handshake. He eyed her hand for a moment, before taking it in his own, shaking it gently as his other sheathed his vibrablade, and finally grasped at his side. He'd been injured in battle, but it appeared he would fare well; perhaps he just needed a moment to catch his breath.

"I thank you, sentient, for your assistance in that," He took a deep breath, "dilemma."

"It was no problem at all. I couldn't let him carry through with the murder of two," Her eyes shifted towards the fallen body of his comrade, saddened that they could not save both, "innocents, such as yourselves."

He nodded his thanks, and eyed the bodies surrounding the three of them. "You should leave this scene, I will hide the bodies so no one knows what happened and those from the apartments surrounding are not accused." An expression that Vislyn could only guess was a frown, bestowed itself upon him. "I wish I could be of more help, you have spared my life from the reckless Sith."

Both Vislyn and Carth exchanged glances, "Well, you could be of some more help. We just need some information." The Duros nodded, most obviously eager to flee the scene. "Do you know of any pods? Crashings? Republicans?" He seemed to give it a moment of thought, but shook his head helplessly, causing Vislyn to release a sigh. "Thanks anyway. Goodbye then, stranger."

And they were off, Carth and Vislyn walking in an opposite direction as the Duros, trusting him to take care of the remains.

They left the apartment complex, with very little information. They'd talked to one Twi'lek, a kiosk owner, though he was mostly bent on selling shields and the like to the pair. The two put up with his constant bargaining for no more than fifteen minutes, trying to get information, any, from him, though he did not have much. The most Vislyn learned was that Taris was a prejudiced and discriminatory planet. The rich lived above, and the poor below. Aliens were also looked down upon, for the most part, which was completely disgusting in Vislyn's mind. Everyone was an equal, everyone deserved rights. Even the Sith slime.

Further wandering and soon enough Vislyn and Carth would find themselves in a respectable shop, with a quite friendly shopkeeper. She told the pair of the dangers of gang wars in the lower city, malicious fights and an upcoming swoop race. Perhaps all these things would come into play, though Vislyn was skeptical, but any information was good information, to her. You needed to know your surroundings in order to get anywhere useful on an unknown world, that's how she looked at it. After buying minor supplies; medpacs, a few grenades, Carth and Vislyn exited the shop, setting their sights on the Cantina that was not a long walk away.

In the archway, a single Sith stood, watching with sharp eyes (or so she guessed) as customers entered and exited. The uniformed soldier nodded his head, armor glinting in the sunlight. _He must be burning up under all that,_ she snorted in the depths of her mind. She shook her head, stepping inside the dingy Cantina as the door obediently slid open. A Sith's discomfort was really not her concern, not at all.

* * *

Carth Onasi quirked a brow, deciding against questioning Vislyn about her obvious amusement, instead, he stepped behind her and followed her small frame into the Cantina. His eyes flitted from face to face, feature to feature. The cantina was really no different from any other he'd seen. There were shady characters in every shadowed corner, Pazaak players going at _their_ game, giggly, tipsy girls and boasting drunken men left and right. Straightening the collar of his jacket, he regained his posture, following along with Vislyn until she led the both of them to the bar, seating herself on one of the stools. Carth did much the same, seating himself next to her before ordering a drink. The barkeep, a spindly droid with wires and hooks attaching itself to the device above, returned with his bubbly drink in hand. Carth paid the droid in credits, and watched as it began to attend to other customers.

His daze faded at a nudge in his ribs, and he turned himself on the stool, expecting explanation from Vislyn.

"You see him?" She moved her eyes in the direction of a young man, dressed in the usual attire of a city man, though there was something about him that labeled him different from the other patrons. He nodded, not taking his eyes off the youth. "I'm positive he's a Sith, and he looks like an easy enough target, I hope."

"Target?" He queried, raising his eyebrows at the recruit, but she didn't answer, just a smirk would appear on her devious face.

She pushed herself away from the stool with ease, and walked in a different manner now, so feminine it made Carth lean forward on the stool, only taking his eyes away for a moment to bring the drink to his lips. She was a curious sort, and he felt there was still much he had to learn about her.

"Hey handsome." She whispered, delicately rounding on the Sith as she seated herself next to him. His expression went from pure confusion to a masculine sort of pride in mere seconds. He grinned, and she batted thick lashes in his direction. "I couldn't help but come over here and talk to you. You just looked so," she thought, tapping a single fingernail against her chin for a moment, "lonesome. I thought, maybe I can give you some company, yes?"

The Sith cleared his throat, more than likely trying to rid himself of the fluster on his cheeks as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Carth took another gulp of his ale, crooking his neck and peering under the table. His brow knitted, _Despicable_. Her leg ran against the younger man's nonchalantly, and a giggle held itself in her silvery vocals.

"Of course, of course." He swallowed hard, leaning both elbows on the table. Vislyn leaned forward, tilting her head to the side 'daintily' as she watched him, her intentions seeming bold. "I was getting kind of lonely. I'm on break, you see, I work for the Sith." The man straightened up in his seat proudly, and Vislyn smiled in return. "It gets pretty dull, patrolling the streets of this backwater planet isn't exactly what I signed up for."

With a pouty lip, Vislyn shook her head. "No, no. Of course not. A Sith like you should be out there, teaching those Republic a lesson." Lowering her lids partially, she ran her fingers lightly over his arm. He pulled her closer, running a callused hand over her side hastily. She giggled, appearing not to mind one bit.

"That's what I think. You know what?" The soldier again pulled her in, letting his hands wander wherever they pleased. Carth grimaced, _Women_. "We Sith are having a party tonight, you know, something to take our minds off duty. You should come, as… as my date." _Or his little playmate, _Carth snorted.

"Oh, I would just _love_ that so much." She edged away from his grasp, "Where and when?" Her large eyes were on the Sith, and a welcoming smile played along her lips.

Yun, as he later introduced himself, must've taken it as some sort of sign, because soon enough his hands were trailing up her torso, groping and pawing as he pulled her back onto his lap. "On the South side of town there's an apartment complex, go there and don't be late. It'll begin just after sun down. Be there, or I'll come searching for you." He chuckled.

Carth shone a look of pure disgust and turned in his seat, waiting for the two to part ways. He hunched himself over his drink, gulping down the strong liquid. From the corner of his eye he saw Vislyn seat herself next to him, she was silent for a moment, and he was too.

"Ahem." She finally cleared her throat, resting her cheek on a hand. He turned to her, a brow quirked, and the sneer still upon his lips. "What? Didn't you hear what the shopkeeper said? We can't get into the lower city without being a Sith or the proper authorization papers." She waved the droid over, asked for some water, and turned back to him. "I think we may find a way down there if we go to this 'party'."

His lips tightened, and he downed the last of his drink, watching as she took her own glass to her lips, sipping down the contents with little anticipation. "Well, I'm sure you didn't have to go and let him demean you." He frowned again, and now it was her turn to quirk a brow.

"You think I _wanted_ him to grope me?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you thought it."

"No…"

"Don't lie to me, Carth." She retorted, shaking her head. "It was all an act, if that's what worries you. I'm not some space harlot; I just had to put on a show for the little boy."

Carth snorted, ruffling his hair as he pushed away from the seat. "Alright, alright." Her acting skills were still quite impressive, _too_ convincing, even. "Well, I overheard him say 'sun down', which means we have time to burn."

Vislyn nodded, setting her gaze around the room. "We can still ask around, perhaps find a way to get credits." She pursed her lips, "Lord only knows if we'll need them or not."

"Agreed." Carth knew the chances of having to bribe a few idiots were in the cards. They always were. Credits meant everything in these times, on every planet. "I think it'd be best if we stuck to the Cantina first, though." He looked over his shoulder, the beats of outlandish music pounding into his head. "I'm positive there will be a few 'characters' in there." He nudged his head in the direction of where the music had been emerging. "You can count on it if there's a Twi'lek in the vicinity, waggling her head tails."

"I'm sure." Vislyn merely rolled her eyes, finishing off her drink before also standing. The two of them walked at a casual pace into the hazy section of the Cantina.

The room was filled with an almost purple mist. Each and every table, not to Carth's surprise, was filled to the brim with customers and patrons. At the back-center of the room, was a stage. A Bith band played the music, and a single Twi'lek female danced with extreme grace and agility.

"Typical." He heard Vislyn murmur under her breath. She had not but taken one look at the Twi'lek dancing, and already looked disgusted. Carth made no comment, not exactly wanting to get on her bad side.

"Oh, hello!" Vislyn was brought to a halt, an unfamiliar hand was brought down onto one of her slender shoulder, stopping her from carrying on with her business. "I can tell from your exotic appearance that you are most certainly not from around here, correct?"

Carth stepped up to Vislyn's side, eyes stuck on the man who had halted her. His garments were nothing special, and he looked as though he needed to earn a few more credits. Sweat covered his face, and his hands were quite fidgety once he'd released the woman. Vislyn acknowledged the odd man, nodding her head. "You would be correct, sir. I'm not from around here, just stuck here due to the blockade. A pity, really."

"I do agree with you, Madame. You see that band up on stage?" Vislyn nodded once more, not even bothering to look as the man extended a chubby finger in the Bith group's direction. "They're stuck here as well. But, no worries. Once the blockade is gone, they will be going on tour." He grinned, nodding his head anxiously, hurrying through his phrases and looking as though he could stumble over a word at any moment. Carth was meagerly amused.

Vislyn smiled, "I see. Interesting." She _feigned_ interest, but Carth knew she was anxious to be on her way.

"You know what? You seem like such a lovely lady," He moved closer; he might as well have been pushing Carth aside. "I could get you to meet that band up there, you know." The chubby, little man rubbed his hands together, nodding to himself. "I can, I can. I have _connections_, you see." He flashed a toothy grin, and Vislyn eyed narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, can you? What's the catch?" Carth mused over the thought of just _why_ she was even continuing with this man. She didn't even have an interest in the band, from what he could tell.

"Just a simple sum of twenty credits is all, Madame."

"Looks like you're just trying to take my friend for a ride." The pilot accused, forcefully pushing himself back into the conversation.

"Oh, don't be silly, Carth." She waved a dismissive hand, and tossed him a glance that said 'I know what I'm doing.' He backed off at this look, feeling more than unsettled. He mumbled under his breath, his accusations weren't welcome at this time.

"Exactly! I'm just trying to help your lady friend out. Give her a brush with fame, you know." Carth could do nothing else but roll his eyes, folding his arms against his torso as he gave a shake of his head.

"Here's your twenty credits, good sir." Vislyn idly placed collection credits in the hand of this scoundrel.

"Thank you, Madame. I will return when the guards are ready." With that, the man bounded out of the room, bumping into the occasional person as he did so.

"He's not coming back."

Vislyn turned to face him, a faint smile showing upon her lips. "He probably needed those few credits for food, or…" She shrugged, "maybe even to drown his sorrows away in a drink."

Carth's eyebrows rose; he surprised at such an act of generosity. "You knew?" Vislyn nodded, her neck craning as she sent one last look around the room. "He probably didn't deserve anything." He stated blandly.

"And what of it? It was twenty credits," Vislyn countered dryly, "I'm sure we'll survive without it." Her eyes had returned their focus on him; and she was silent until she patted a fond hand against his chest. "Without others helping each other, just _what_ exactly is going to make the world go 'round? It will just continue becoming more and more corrupt. A worse cesspool than it already is."

It took Carth a few moments to gather his words. He felt they should be sincere. "The _galaxy_ is already on a bad track, if you ask me." He turned, and she did the same. They walked step in step out of the room, the music eventually faded back down to the beats which pounded and drove into each of their heads. "Almost every little mistake a person makes leads to corruption, if you ask me." The statement was bitter, but true in his mind.

"But that is what they are; 'mistakes'." Vislyn regarded him with a cool presence, though they continued walking onward, towards a large room. "Mistakes can be forgiven, people can be redeemed."

"Not _everyone_, Vislyn. Some people are just too far gone." His brow furrowed, as he entered the room, it was full of people who looked as if they were ready for a fight. They reminded him of gladiators, there must've been a fighting pit somewhere in this Cantina.

"Not _everyone_ wishes to be redeemed and forgiven, _Carth._" He winced; she obviously did not like this argument. He supposed she would just have to deal with not always being agreed with, they had very different points of view at the moment, and this could mean other possible bickering could ensue. "Only those who wish forgiveness, I'm sure, can return to the _right_ and _true_ purpose." She seemed quite passionate about this debate. Her expression was that of stone.

He lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug, "I have no idea, I've not strayed too far from doing the 'right' thing, I hope. And I'm sure you have no idea, either."

"Probably not." A sigh parted her lips, her eyes seeming distant. "And I do not wish to." She snapped, rubbing at her temples with slender fingers. "I've had enough of this feuding. Let's just bring an end to it, I won. Clear?" She grinned, taking a few steps further into the room. The way her expressions and moods changed so swiftly could leave Carth lingering on the last. He shook his head, returning much the same playful expression and awkwardly moved in beside her.

"What is this?" Vislyn whispered, looking somewhat intimidated by the burly men and woman gathered in a small group ahead of them. She quickly straightened up, Carth noticed, she was 'showing no weakness'. He held back a chuckle at her stance, retrieving an answer.

"I'm assuming this is some sort of… dueling… type installment." He waved a hand towards the grouping, "They must be duelists. And," His eyes caught the Hutt directly ahead, "he must be in charge of this little fiasco." Carth noted his companion seemed intrigued; perhaps she liked the idea of a good fight?

Her eyes flitted over the sluggish being, her nose wrinkled and she pursed her lips. "A hutt? On this planet? Isn't that a tad odd?" She seemed to study the alien. "I thought they despised other life forms?"

Carth also regarded the Hutt, "Well, maybe they enjoy the business he's running. I doubt there are very many humans who have the guts to start a dueling ring. Besides, Hutts enjoy slugging around in credits, I'm sure he makes a grand total. I doubt anything could scare him away from this business."

"I see." She pulled her intent gaze away from the Hutt, and returned it to Carth. "Do you think I could do some dueling?"

"Uh…" Carth eyed her up and down, and then shifted his glance to the professional duelists. "I…"

"Oh, shut up." Vislyn smirked, "You've seen me fight, and with a blaster at that." She glanced down towards the holstered blaster pistol, and shrugged. "I don't like blasters much… I think I'd be much more effective with an edged weapon." Carth opened his mouth to protest, but the female added. "Besides, I wasn't asking for your opinion if I could win or not. I wanted to know if you thought they'd let me perform as a challenging duelist."

Narrowing his eyes, Carth gave a simple shrug. "It's worth a shot. Like you said, we could use credits, just in case." He lifted an arm and scratched at the back of his head. "But try not to get yourself hurt too badly, okay?"

Vislyn laughed, patting the soldier's cheek. "I'll _try_. We have work to attend to later, anyhow." She tossed a glance about the room. "You can watch, I suppose. If the Hutt allows me to fight." She shrugged, seeming not to care either way. This all seemed rather reckless on her part, but Carth figured it couldn't hurt anything. He'd heard dueling to the death was made illegal, so no matter how badly she was injured, she wouldn't be killed. He hoped so, at least.

He watched as she consulted with the Hutt, and it seemed he was agreeing to everything she said. Or perhaps she was agreeing with everything he said. No matter, it was going her way. Carth lingered in the same spot for moment more before the young woman disappeared, exiting out one of the back doors. As she did so, some sort of intercom went off, and a voice echoed through the room, announcing that a grouping of matches were to take place. Three of the burly duelists; two men and one woman, also exited through the same doors as Vislyn. Carth assumed they were to be matching up with his new comrade, and he decided he wished to watch this.

He walked himself to a vacant view screen, and watched the blue screen flicker with advertisements for all of Taris' locales. The screen buzzed, and soon enough the dueling ring was visible. Carth pressed both hands against the wall and leaned in, watching intently as the intercom went off again.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," The announcer boasted through the intercom, his voice a talent natural enough for this line of work. "For your viewing pleasure, we will not have just one. Not two. Buy… _THREE_ matches tonight, all three introducing a new duelist into the ranks!" The crowd, those who could afford seats just outside the dueling ring, cheered, hooted and hollered as two people emerged from opposite sides of the arena. The view screen flicked, and soon both of the duelist's faces were visible simultaneously on split screen, whilst information buzzed along the bottom. Carth's attention was more on right side, where Vislyn's face could be seen. She had a look of concentration, and utmost seriousness. _I hope you know what you're doing…_

"I present to you, the Mysterious stranger!" Part of the crowd cheered, while the rest stayed inattentive. Carth guessed they were unsure of this newcomer, unsure if they should cheer or boo. He shook his head, _Nobles. _The announcer continued, "She's looking to climb the ranks. But will she do it? Can she do it? Well, she will try!" The voice was feigning suspense, Carth was unaffected. He just watched the view screen intently. It flickered once more, and now it focused on her opponent. 'Deadeye Duncan' flashed across the bottom of the screen. _What a lovely name_, Carth chuckled to himself, figuring this must have been why he was at the bottom of the ranks. "You've all seen him before!" The announcer had started up again, in that same, boasting and somewhat irritating voice, "Deadeye Duncan is looking to climb the ranks as well! Perhaps this new face will be just the lift he needs to stardom!" A booing from the audience began, though the duelist mustered up as much pride as he could and lifted his arms towards the ceiling, cheering himself on, since no one else would. The screen blanked out, but cleared, and now the ring was clearly visible, as were the two opponents. Both held vibrablades now, and both seemed to be waiting for the moment to strike. Vislyn's stance, however, seemed to hold more posture and grace than the older man's, Carth hoped her nimbleness and agility would prove its worth in this little spar, and the next two.

"Without further a due…" The announcer shouted, his voice even more distinct, "let the match commence!" A bell, if one could call it that, rung throughout the room and arena alike, and the match begun, Vislyn standing her ground as Deadeye made his hasty approach, lifting his vibrablade high over his head.

"Argh!" He growled in Vislyn's direction, making his first swipe downward at her, though it would prove faulty. With extreme grace she turned on her heels, sidestepping the attack before lifting her leg in a quick movement, booting the older man in his ribs. He coughed, choking out, "Oomph!" before falling back, lifting his vibrablade in a defensive motion. Vislyn seemed to eye him, almost seeming to scan him from head to toe. He was almost down because of a simple kick, Carth mused, she could bring him down at this very second. But she didn't. Instead, she rounded on him, much as a Kath Hound would do before it found itself lunging at its prey. And this was exactly what she did. She leapt forward before Deadeye could conceive what movement she was going to display. She brought her vibrablade down against his already injured side, and landed in mid-crouch, turning her head to view her 'prey' falling down to the harsh ground.

"The match is OVER, ladies and gentlemen, OVER. Deadeye Duncan is down! The Mysterious stranger has won! But are we really impressed? Deadeye Duncan hasn't won a match in _years_. You'll have to do more to impress _us_, Stranger." With that, the screen went blank, leaving Carth to wait for the next two matches.

It was a curious thing, the way Vislyn handled that blade was almost unheard of. She had immeasurable skills, as Carth saw it, and could really put them to some use. Though, if one could delve deeply into Carth's mind, they would still see that he had a slight worry. She could still possibly slip up on the next match, or even the next. She had an uncanny ability for being agile, but agility only could get you so far. Raw strength was something Carth had depended on throughout the years, he knew she would need it at some point or another in these petty duels, he thought so, at least.

The screen once again flickered and buzzed, and the announcer went through what he'd just said, replacing the name 'Deadeye Duncan' to 'Gerlon Two-Fingers'. "Two-Fingers?" Carth scoffed, these lower rankings weren't apparently the best duelists he'd ever seen. He shouldn't have expected anything else. There, again, was Vislyn, though this time more cheers barraged themselves her way. She raised a triumphant hand before giving a regal bow, it too, not to Carth's surprise, was of pure cat-like grace. The man opposing her, looking perhaps five years Duncan's junior, stood proudly at the other side of the ring. He held a blaster pistol and had a quite sober expression upon his weathered face. The crowd did cheer for him, not a single 'boo' was flung in his direction. They must have respected him, more than likely from former performances.

Carth shifted his weight to his right leg, watching the screen as it went through much the same process as before; it flicked, buzzed and soon enough the complete ring was visible. The 'bell' rang and the audience went into a fit of wild cheering and chanting. Carth swore he could hear it through not only the view screen, but the walls as well.

On there screen he observed as Gerlon rose his blaster, knees bending just a slight bit as he grounded himself, clicking his fingers against the trigger. Vislyn, vibrablade still in hand, dodged the bolts, ducking and weaving all the while. The pilot could _only_ watch as the onslaught of energy from the blaster was sent her way, but she continued weaving herself, edging closer and closer until she was within an arm's reach of Gerlon. She quickly brought herself to his side, slicing the edged weapon against his ribs with one smooth stroke. Gerlon's pulling of the trigger halted, and the blaster fire concluded on call. He dropped to his knees, falling over in a heap of light armor. _This is almost too easy for her._ Carth thought, absently scratching at his bearded chin.

Vislyn, withdrawing a deep breath, slowly approached the center of the ring just as the voice of the announcer sounded throughout the arena and view screens both. "The fight is OVER. The Mysterious Stranger has brought down Gerlon! She is climbing the ranks! Who will be next?!" The screen faded into a dim navy and again the advertisements appeared, leaving Carth to await the last match for today.

There was no doubt in his mind that Vislyn was an impressive sort, she had skills, serious skills, skills that a soldier twice her age would strive to receive over years of battles and training. Carth _was_ impressed, though he knew once she walked out those doors he could absolutely _not_ let it show. She struck him as the type that would gloat after all that was said and done, especially since he had so much doubt in her. The Republican was a proud man, there was no denying that. He wanted to keep it that way.

Both hands grasped the sides of the view screen now, the last fight for today was about to commence. As it did the times before, the screen went through the same process before flicking onto the dueling ring. This time Vislyn was not the only woman; there was another, much taller woman with a look of cold remorse upon her face in the arena with her. She, like the duelist before, held a single blaster with a gloved hand. Vislyn remained unfazed, continuing to hold that plain vibrablade. Was it her new weapon of choice? Carth didn't know, figuring since that first encounter on the Endar Spire that she preferred a blaster pistol, he knew _he_ did. A pair of them, actually.

Returning his focus onto the small screen in front of him, he watched and listened as the announcer _again_ went through the exact same process, though this time introducing the opposing female duelist as "Ice". The crowd cheered wildly for both sides, obviously impressed with both of their skills. Carth could only wonder if Vislyn had met someone who could at least compare to her skill.

Again, the bell rang, now causing Carth some annoyance. Once was enough, three times was far too many. He shook his head, dusting off the annoyance as he focused all attention on the view screen, watching as Ice raised her gun to shoulder height, tapping her finger against the trigger whilst sending and onslaught of blaster fire in Vislyn's direction. Carth shook his head, blaster fire was nothing. This woman was making the same mistake as the man before her.

Vislyn began the same agile method as before, dodging, bounding, rolling and ducking every chance she had. She did this with such ease that she would put a cat to shame. However, Ice was seeing the error in her ways, and before Vislyn could get close enough, she tossed her blaster aside and unsheathed a well placed vibrablade from her belt. She raised the weapon and a smirk flashed across his thin, painted lips, the recording droid seemed to be doing a close up, possibly for a more dramatic effect. Carth could see how the bounding around a dodging had affected Vislyn, for she withdrew a deep breath before she too lifted her weapon. The two of them began sidestepping each other, parrying and avoiding each and every swipe. The crowd released an juggernaut of screams, shouts and "Get on with it's" as the two appeared to be partaking in some odd sort of dance.

Ice had the advantage; she wasn't as worn out as Vislyn was. She had energy, and Carth guessed from her size and capacity that she had the strength. He flinched at every blow she sent Vislyn's way, hoping she would leave herself open to some sort of defensive maneuver. He really didn't wish to observe helplessly as his comrade was cut down before him.

With a final block Vislyn parried away, circling widely around Ice in a slow paced walk, regaining her breath. Ice, however, knew that she could use 'The Mysterious Stranger's fatigue to her advantage, and released a feral scream as she advanced on Vislyn. She slashed, cut, lunged, twirled and spun herself with attacks of pure strength, countering Vislyn's agility with brute force. Carth winced at every strike that made its way in his companion's direction, and for a minute he wanted to turn away, burst through the doors and rescue her from the pain she was being succumbed to. But, no. Even if he did manage to make it past the guards, patrols and crowd alike, he would probably be shot down before he got anywhere. _It's not as though she's going to be killed,_ he convinced himself, _bruised and beaten, perhaps, and maybe sliced, but not killed._ He turned back, watching as Vislyn, her back to the wall, made her last attempt at winning this battle, her injuries slowing her pace and weakening her strokes.

Ice grinned, raising her vibrablade for a final blow; this being her fatal, in a way, flaw. Vislyn saw this was her chance, and with an almost just as feral "Hyah!" as Ice, she lifted her boot and made contact with Ice's chest. The opponent fell back, smacking her back to the cold metal floor. Before she could regain composure, Vislyn was already standing over her, vibrablade pointed directly between her beady eyes.

The duelist grimaced, giving a shout. "I'm not about to forfeit, Stranger." The words were almost an inaudible hiss through the view screen, Carth could just barely make them out. With a kick to Vislyn's stomach, she turned herself, twisting around as she reached for her dropped weapon. The Republican was already on her feet, grasping for her own weapon as Ice slowly rose. Vislyn appeared to be shaking her head as Ice began to advance. She twirled around the woman, tripping her with a single foot. Ice was not so easily defeated, she grasped onto Vislyn's leg, bringing her down to the floor as well. Both of their weapons clattered out of arms reach.

The crowd was going wild, screaming and acting as if they were caged animals. Carth supposed these nobles didn't get out much, though he let the thought slide as he continued watching the two battle it out.

Ice had Vislyn pinned against the floor, she'd straddled her down with her own weight and grasped towards the woman's throat with tensed hands. Vislyn had her wrists, however, and struggled endlessly. This duel would not be over until one of them was unconscious and motionless upon the cold, hardened floor.

Vislyn's grasp was faltering, and Ice's hands were making their way closer and closer towards her throat. She gasped, suddenly releasing her grip, turning her head as the woman's fists slammed against the cold floor. The duelist released a shrill scream, rolling off Vislyn whilst clutching her hands to her chest.

Swiftly lifting herself to her feet, Vislyn edged closer, pushing one of her boots against Ice's chest, pinning her down, and the other to her throat. The woman would put up a struggle, though Vislyn was sure she was more distressed about her broken knuckles more than anything else. Inevitably the woman closed her eyes and went limp, Vislyn immediately withdrew her boot and fell into a kneel beside the limp form, breathing deeply.

"Ice is _defeated!"_ The announcer's voice could be heard above gasps, cheers and shouts of approval. "The Mysterious Stranger has defeated all but _two_ of the duelists! Will Marl be next? Buy tickets for another show and _see!"_ Vislyn got to her feet and at last limped out of view from the screen. Carth frowned. She would need some rest and a good injection of kolto before they were going to this 'party'. He left the view screen, ambling his way towards the doors, waiting for Vislyn to come limping in his direction.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Suspicions**

****

"I'm _fine_." She winced as the Republican Pilot brought an injection of kolto out of one of their packs, edging closer to her. "I _said_ I'm _fine_." Vislyn edged away from him; she despised needles of any sort. This was just another reason why she never used stims in a battle.

Carth diligently continued moving forward, grasping her arm with one of his hands, pulling it out towards him. Vislyn struggled a short while, but sighed and gave up as the needle punctured into her skin, the cooling feel of the kolto coursing through her veins bringing a slight chill to her spine. "Wasn't so bad," Carth sounded as though he were trying to be comforting, "now was it?"

She frowned, pulling her arm away. She placed one of her hands where the needle had made its entrance, and rubbed it soothingly. "I despise _needles_."

"I noticed."

Vislyn shot a glare in Carth's direction, not liking the look of amusement that had lain so blatantly across his well featured face. She thought he was good-looking, handsome, even. For some odd reason or another, her gaze remained on him, and she made no attempt at words.

Shifting, looking uncomfortable under her stare, Carth spoke, "Yes?"

Vislyn shook her head, clearing her throat. "I just now realized something," Her fingers left their post of rubbing the puncture wound, both hands settling themselves upon her lap. "I know next to nothing about you." She leaned back on the chair, reclining. They were back in the comforts of their little apartment for the time being, since Carth insisted she needed some rest after that grueling duel. She was rather sore, anyhow. "Let's talk."

"I'm all ears, beautiful." Carth too, sat himself in one of the four chairs, seeming to take no notice of Vislyn's surprise to the term.

"Beautiful? Isn't that a little inappropriate?"

The pilot emitted a throaty laugh, grinning in her direction. "Is there something else you'd rather I call you?"

Vislyn gave it a moments thought, "How's about 'Gorgeous'?"

Another laugh emerged from Carth's vocals, a smirk appearing on his lips. "I might consider it, but what will you call me in return?"

"I think," she gave it a moment's thought, "Handsome thug?"

Carth lifted his eyebrows, bursting into yet another fit of laughter, Vislyn decided to join him this time. "I like the handsome part, but I'm more partial to 'the most handsome pilot in the galaxy'," He withdrew a breath, scratching his chin, an apparent habit, Vislyn had noticed. "Kidding aside, what was it we were about to talk about…?"

"I wanted to know about you."

"There's not much to tell, really." Vislyn rolled her eyes at the man, he was a decorated war-hero, he _had_ to have stories. She would let it slide this time, seeing Carth wasn't about to tell anything just yet. "I have a question or two to ask you, however."

"Shoot." She replied offhandedly, trailing circles over the table with a single fingernail. She could feel Carth's eyes on her.

"There's a few unanswered questions, a few things that I don't understand. I've been going through all of what took place on the Endar Spire through my head, millions of times it seems, yet I _still_ don't understand." Vislyn didn't raise her gaze from the table; her fingers continued trailing the same patterns. "What happened on the vessel?"

Vislyn shrugged, "I was in no position to have any idea what was going on, really."

"I know, I know. Neither was I. I was just on the Endar Spire as an advisor." Vislyn lifted her head, eyeing Carth. She was positive that he was masking a look of suspicion away from her. "But, still. I find it somewhat odd that a scout, the Jedi would _just_ have recruited on the Spire, a last minute addition, would be one of the only survivors." His brow knitted.

"Are you implying that _I_ had something to do with the Endar's downfall?" Vislyn accused, eyes narrowing as she almost set a glare upon the soldier.

"Maybe… maybe not." Carth rubbed the back of his hand to his forehead, crooking his neck left and right before continuing, "I don't like surprises, I have to be open to all sorts of possibilities."

"You mean you don't trust me."

"Not exactly, no."

"And why should I trust you, then?"

"You shouldn't, you shouldn't trust anyone." Vislyn's lips twisted into a frown, she noticed Carth's eyes almost seemed distant. "A lesson I had to learn…" The statement was muffled and under his breath, but Vislyn heard it all the same. "Enough of this!" He snapped, pushing himself out of the seat as he paced back and forth. "Let's just carry on, alright?" Before Vislyn could open her mouth in reply, Carth was already going through their packs and checking supplies. Vislyn sighed, lifting herself from the chair.

The cool feeling from the kolto had settled her aches and pains; the injections of such a medicinal liquid could truly work wonders. All but a few bruises vanished from her skin and what felt like torn ligaments before were now just tensed muscles. A couple minutes of walking would more than likely clear those up.

Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, finally leaning her back to the wall, she allowed her eyes to settle themselves on Carth as he sifted through supplies from their packs. He was hunched over, his back to her, and looked as if he were trying to form a protective shield between the two of them, it, in a way, saddened her. She was really warming up to this man, and now it had all seemed to backfire. _Oh well,_ she mused in the depths of her mind,_ I'll just have to work on him._ She watched as he seemed to pull some sort of odd device from his jacket pocket, his eyes scanned it over for moments before he sunk it back where it belonged. Standing, both packs in hand, he turned and tossed her one. Somewhat startled at the flying object that was sent her way she reached forward, surprisingly catching the sack of material.

"We should get going." Carth stated matter-of-factly. "It's almost sun-down."

There were no windows in the dank, dusty apartment, so Vislyn would just have to rely on Carth to know these things, since she herself had no idea either way. She nodded though, and slung the pack over one of her shoulders, "He said the south side of the city." Carth nodded, he must've heard the whole conversation. "Shall we?" With that, the two exited the apartment and made their way out of the building.

The sun hung low in the sky, Taris' moons now completely visible to those below. The skies were a blend of oranges, purples and faint pinks. It was a pretty sight, to say the least, which led to Vislyn to having her eyes focused on the heavens as she followed in step with Carth.

"Check this out." Carth mumbled, his tone that of pure disgust. Vislyn lowered her eyes, focusing on a group of three ahead; two humans and a single Aqualish. The younger of the humans and the Aqualish armed, both of their weapons had been directed towards the elderly man in the group, he looked quite feeble and harmless.

Vislyn nudged Carth's side, whispering, "What is with people on this planet? It's as though they're all at each other's throats." The pilot grunted, she guessed his mood had gone downhill since they'd had that little 'talk'.

"Davik doesn't like it when people owe him credits, old man." The younger man stepped forward, his blaster threateningly close to the old man's face.

"No, please! Just give me an advance. I can pay half, but I don't have it all. _Please._" The old man pleaded, edging away from the, what Vislyn assumed, bounty hunter's weapon.

"It's too late for that, old man. You're already behind on your payments. It's time to-…" Before Vislyn could make any move, the Aqualish's large, black, glassy eyes were upon her and Carth. He nudged his 'friend' in the ribs, causing him to turn his attention to the pair as well.

"We have company." The alien stated nonchalantly, pointing his heavy blaster in the basic direction of the two. He, of course, was speaking in his own tongue.

The greasy black haired man raised a pair of bushy brows. "So we do." He spat, Carth shifting as he brought out his own blasters. Vislyn made no move for her weapon, eyes narrowing. "Stay out of our business, if you knows what's good for yous."

"I know we're supposed to be keeping a low profile, but… we aren't going to let them kill this old guy, are we?" Carth muttered towards her, licking his dried lips. Vislyn shook her head, mouthing the word 'no'.

"Please, help me!"

"Shut up, old man."

"You two," Vislyn waved a hand in their general direction, "shoo. Get out of here, leave the elderly man alone." Her eyes shifted back and forth between the Aqualish and Human, a smirk appearing on her lips. "Or are you so pathetic and weak that you have to pick on the old and feeble?"

The human became noticeably flustered, his teeth clenching together as his jaw became set. "I think you've said enough, stranger. Come on, let's take care of these idiots." He tossed a look to the cowering old man, "Then it's your turn, bub." By the time the human was able to raise his gun and aim for Vislyn she was already in a crouched position, vibrablade in hand. The Aqualish released what sounded like a growl, and he too unsheathed a bladed weapon, lunging forth towards Vislyn.

Green and red blaster fire could be seen out of the corner of her eye just before she ducked the alien's first attacked, tumbling over and landing herself upon her two boots. She got up, balancing herself out as he again lunged, this time with more speed, Vislyn having to pull off a trickier maneuver of spinning on her heels in order not to be sliced in half at his hand. He was right on her this time, however, and now was sending a flurry of jabs, slices, and cleaves her way. She blocked as best she could, sparks sizzling through the air as the blades clashed. Vislyn finding herself in a bit of trouble, seeing as how she was of no strength compared to this barbaric being quickly slipped back, bringing her blade at a diagonal angle in front of her. The Aqualish snarled, releasing a flow of steady curses, horrid insults, Vislyn was sure. He began his advance, step by step, stomping towards the petite femme. Vislyn's hands tensed on the handle of her vibrablade, knuckles whitening at the immensity of her grip, preparing for another wave of blows. Again, the Aqualish snarled, taking a long stride towards Vislyn, raising the vibrablade to shoulder height, readying himself to take a slash in her direction. Two blaster shots sounded, and then two more. The Aqualish stiffened, releasing a gurgle faintly resembling a hiss, before dropping to the ground; dead.

Vislyn focused her eyes on Carth; he was already holstering his two weapons, a smug look hindering his formerly irritated expression. "I could've handled myself." She stated irately, pushing her vibrablade into its silken sheath at her belt.

"Uh huh." He seemed unconvinced. _Men._

Turning her attention away from the pilot, eyes catching sight of the grey haired man, she stepped forward, nearing him cautiously. He trembled, his bloodless face still seeming concerned. "P-Please don't hurt me." He stammered over the words, and took a step back as Vislyn neared. She stopped further movement, halting herself a few metres away.

"We're not here to harm you, we helped you." Her voice was calm and cool, trying to put the man at some ease. "Why were those men after you?" She allowed both hands to drop at her sides as she awaited an answer.

"D-Davik. Davik. I owe that scoundrel a couple hundred credits." He winced, muttering, "I should've listened to my wife when she told me not to get involved with crime lords." Cocking his head, eyes darting around the almost empty street, he added, "I should really get going. There's not much else you can do, unless you have another hundred credits." He snorted, "Thanks for sparing me from those thugs, lass." With that he turned on his heels, about to dart the scene.

"Wait!" Vislyn shouted, causing him to throw a look over his shoulder in her direction. "Wait, I think I can help." At a slow paced jog, she caught up to the man, opening her pack before retrieving the credits he was in need of. "There, _now_ I'll let you be on your way."

The man gawked, mouth agape. "Th-thank you! Thank you! Now I'll just bring these to Davik and I'll be well on my way!" He grinned toothily, clutching the credits in his hands before scampering off, a bounce in his step.

"One hundred credits? Generous." It was Carth's voice. She turned to face him with a wry smile, and shrugged.

"I earned six hundred credits from those little spars in the Cantina, I figured helping another was worth it." Said Vislyn. She turned back around, casually walking ahead until she came to face a large door, a sign to her left reading 'Southern Sector'. _Almost there,_ she thought to herself. Reaching to the panel, pressing her right hand against it, would allow the door to slide open, and would further Carth and Vislyn's exploration of Taris' upper city.

* * *

Carth found the southern regions of the city exactly like the north. There were noble Tarisians left and right, looking down their noses at those who they figured didn't amount to the same as them. Whispers containing the phrase, "Would you just _look_ at those clothes!" could be heard now and then from a prissy woman, snubbing out anyone else but her own little circle of friends. Taris had to be one of the snobbiest backwater planets he'd ever seen, although he supposed it was better than some.

Ahead of him, glancing around from shoulder to shoulder, Vislyn lead the way; he could tell she had no idea where she was leading them. It seemed like she was just getting through the streets with random guesses and hunches. He didn't really care either way, however. This "party" wasn't exactly something the soldier was looking forward to. He knew once they had gotten to their little destination he would find himself a nice spot to stand just outside of the door. He wouldn't be caught dead with a grouping of young Sith. Shuddering at the thought, he picked up his pace and walked alongside Vislyn.

She made no effort at conversation, just continued on with her casual walk in whatever way she guessed lead to the apartments. There weren't many buildings that allowed entrance to the general public anyhow, she'd eventually find the little party. Turning his head, Carth viewed the petite woman. Her face held no particular emotion and she hadn't seemed to notice his gawking. Perhaps she was just ignoring him.

He knew it was probably not the best choice to have snapped at the young woman in such a rude manner, and he knew this was probably why she was giving him a small case of the cold shoulder. She did, at least, talk to him for moment before. That was something to go by; he guessed she wasn't thinking he was completely despicable at the current time. He'd vented, now it was her turn.

Vislyn continued leading them, once managing to have them circle a gathering of buildings without realizing (Carth made no comment nor remark, it was probably best that he didn't), until they finally reached what looked as though it had been what they were searching for all along. The woman quickened her pace, jogging towards the door. Carth, not exactly ecstatic about making such a discovery, followed at a leisurely pace until he was again at her side.

"This it?" He queried just as she pushed her hand against the panel, watching as the door slid open.

"I suppose so." Her neck craned and she peered into the building. Carth noticed it was much like the one _they_ were staying at, from the linens on the walls to the freshly cleaned floors. The tacky colour scheme was the same as well, causing Carth to shake his head in disarray.

Both entered, eyes scanning the complex with little interest. "I assume it will be a locked door… or perhaps even an open one." Vislyn said, edging her way closer to a door. She pressed the panel, it buzzed, and she edged away. "So, I suggest we walk up to all the doors we can find, until we find the correct one."

Carth gave a shake of his head, not liking this idea much. "We're going to be wasting valuable time."

"You got a better idea?" Vislyn sounded smug, her arms folding across her chest as she quirked a brow. Carth gave a grunt, having no answer as he moved onto the next door. From behind him he swore he heard a 'thought so', but didn't bother with it. He pressed his hand to the panel, and the same buzz sounded. _Locked._ He turned to Vislyn, who shrugged and continued on.

They went through the same, frustrating process about five more times before the clicking of footsteps echoed through the near empty space. Both Carth and Vislyn stepped away from the metal door they had just failed to open, attempting a casual look as they leaned their backs to the nearby wall. Soon enough the form of a small life form was visible; she was turning the corner and about to walk past them. It was a little girl, well dressed in which case labeled her the property of a noble family.

The girl, no more than seven or eight, turned to face the pair, blonde curls bouncing as she skipped along. Her eyes scanned over Carth, and then Vislyn, before she released a giggle, looking the woman up and down. Both her and Carth exchanged glances, bewildered to what was so amusing. "Yer funny lookin'!" The girl pointed towards Vislyn, before continuing her bouncy skip down the emptied halls.

Carth, _now_ of course amused, stifled a laugh. "Gee, thanks." Vislyn shot a glare at him, stomping off towards the next door. The pilot hastily followed.

"I'm sure she just meant your clothing, Gorgeous." He still couldn't help but laugh, the expression on her face when the child had said such was priceless.

Ignoring him, Vislyn slapped her fist to the panel, obviously not expecting anything but the familiar 'buzz'. But no buzz sounded, causing Vislyn to stumble forward when the door whisked itself open. The man inside the room, not surprisingly, was stunned at the pair in his doorway.

Carth pursed his lips, helping Vislyn regain her balance before she pushed him away, once again, glaring at his expression. His _amused_ expression would not be tolerated. He turned away, withdrawing a deep breath to contain his laughter.

"Don't hurt me! Please, don't tell Davik I'm here. I'll… I'll _pay_ you!" _Davik? _Carth repeated in his head, lifting his eyes to view the jittery man coolly. _He must be one rich man if he's got all these bounties out._

"Hurt you…?" Vislyn had just finished dusting her arm off, and now her eyes, also, were on the frightened human in the center of the room. "Davik?"

"You mean you're not here to collect the bounty on my head?" Carth watched as Vislyn gave a shake of her head, this was one of the first times he'd met a soldier who didn't collect on random bounties for credits here and there. It was… refreshing to know there was still some good in the galaxy. "Well," The man eyed both of them up and down, "Why are you here then?"

Vislyn coughed, obviously embarrassed. "Well… um, it was a mistake. Wrong room, you see."

"Oh…" The man frowned, "Would you get out then?"

Carth cleared his throat, stepping forward into the conversation. "Perhaps if can help us, we can help you?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"We need to find out where a certain Sith 'get together' is located, and you obviously need to pay off this 'Davik'," Carth's eyes narrowed distinctively on the man, "with credits you _don't_ have."

"I see," The man seemed more inclined to listen now, his hand wavering outward. "Pay me the credits first, then you'll get your information."

Nonchalantly, Carth tossed the credits in the man's direction, easing back so he stood in the door way. He really didn't want to have to chase after a ratfink. The man snatched them up in hasty hands, cradling them against his stomach. "Six doors down. You'll hear the music, trust me." The man ambled towards the doorway, Carth allowing his passage; he now had the information they had been seeking. Sure, they could have continued Vislyn's technique, but patrol droids would inevitably find them, tossing them out the doors for public disturbance or some such. Besides, this way just seemed easier, Vislyn didn't mind throwing credits away anyhow.

As the man turned the corner, out of sight now, Vislyn turned to Carth. "I'm impressed. I didn't take you for the kind of man that enjoyed tossing his credits aside."

"You must be rubbing off on me."

"Great, maybe I can train you to be like a loyal Kaadu." She grinned, rounding on him before exiting into the hallway; Carth cringed.

"No, Gorgeous. I can't see that happening anytime soon."

"Not anytime soon, but sometime." A silvery laugh exited her vocals and she began her walk onward to this party. Carth followed.

It appeared that the nameless man was correct; it wasn't too long before the beats of booming music could be heard, echoing through the halls, the bass shaking the very walls of the structure. Carth was positive that any _other_ group of youth, outside the Sith, would have been kicked out of the complex for such a lack of respect for others peace and quiet, but they had their privileges, among other things.

Vislyn mouthed words, Carth assumed they were numbers; she couldn't have been more obvious. Her fingers pointed down the doors, until she mouthed the word 'six', which was at the end of the hall. "There it is." She murmured, jabbing her finger through the air in the direction of the room. He nodded, slowing his pace.

"Not coming along?" The scout questioned, walking ahead of him. _She doesn't care?_

"Sorry, but I think I'll pass up on the idea of watching the lot get drunk out of their minds." Carth was bitter at the very idea of the woman entering said room just to be pawed and groped. Even if it was an act, it was a demeaning one.

"I could use your help, you know." Thick lashes lifted, large brown optics focusing on him and him alone.

Carth felt uneasy under her gaze, was she pulling her feminine charm out on him now? He wouldn't succumb to it, he _would_ be strong. "I'm sure you can just give a shout if you need anything, Gorgeous."

"Ugh." Her hands rested on her hips, he swore she could have given a cat-like hiss, disapproving of his decline to her offer. "Fine. But I'm sure it won't take long for them to become passed out on the floor, drowning themselves in Tarisian ale. So," She poked a finger against his chest, Carth stood like a rock. "You better stick around… _flyboy._" Gracefully, she turned her back to him, approaching the room before entering with no problem at all. Carth was left feeling comfortable with the idea that she seemed so flustered at the idea of him not wanting to come along.

* * *

If the music seemed loud _outside_ of the room, it was boisterous _inside._ The room smelled of alcohol and sweaty bodies alike; it was crowded, musty and downright unpleasant. Vislyn looked around, suppressing the urge to revolt in disgust at the very room; the others must have been so drunk out of their minds that they no longer cared. _Children, _she thought, peering over the shoulders of a few young women, trying to find the young man who'd invited her.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her midsection, pulling her against a body that stunk of ale worse than the entire room itself. A voice emerged, whispering into her ear with slurred sentences, and incoherent statements. The voice was vaguely familiar, thus she resisted the urge to boot the man in the groin; this was her 'date' for the evening. _Thank god I'm late,_ she shuddered at the very thought of having to put up with the sober version of this scum, again.

Twisting herself around, releasing his arms from around her, Vislyn forced a smile. "Why, hello again." She glanced around, figuring it wouldn't be too long before these idiots were in the depths of a deep sleep. Tarisian ale was a strong and potent drink.

"Hello to you too!" He slurred, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You want anythin' ta drink?"

Vislyn shook her head and then man shrugged deeply, toppling over against a wall. He slid down into a seated position, patting the spot of floor next to him. Vislyn grabbed a drink from the table, attempting not spill its contents on the already soiled carpet. Pressing her back to the wall, she sat down next to the man, handing him the drink with a broad smile plastered across her face. "Tell me about yourself." She finally verbalized, feigning interest as she reluctantly cozied herself up against his stinking hide.

After an hour or two of listening to this _boy_ babble about his questionable 'adventures' on various planets, constantly passing him more and more to drink, staring at the wall, and taking his wandering hands off her form, she finally guessed that he was out like a light. Just her luck to have met the only chattering Sith who could at least hold his alcohol for more than an hour. She pushed herself away from him, dusting herself off obsessively, and looked around the room, pack still slung over her shoulder. _There has to be something of some use in here._

Stepping over numerous bodies, having no trouble with silencing her steps, she moved to a single footlocker in the corner of the room, eyeing it carefully. It didn't appear to be locked, and had no alarm system, it seemed, so she kneeled down and creaked it open, exposing the contents inside. "Aha." She muttered, running her fingers over a single Sith uniform. _Well done, Vis_, she congratulated herself, stuffing the item with some difficulty into her pack. She sent a final look around the room before getting up to her feet, stepping over the many bodies once more before exiting. She clicked the panel to close the door behind her.

"Mission accomplished." She whispered, a grin spreading across her face. She looked to where she had left Carth, and surprisingly he was still there. She would have thought he'd have wandered off somewhere in the time she was gone.

Carth lifted his head, his back was to the wall and he was seated in a comfortable position across the hall. "Mission? What mission? Are you actually trying to tell me that you found something of use after performing that little stunt?"

Vislyn stepped closer, nodding eagerly as she dropped her back at his side. "Now we're guaranteed entrance to the Lower City." She smirked, happy with herself. "Proud?"

Carth's nose immediately wrinkled when she'd stepped closer, "Dear god, woman. Where have you been?!" She frowned, glaring at him, though he was unfazed and just laughed. Shifting, he opened the pack, eyeing the contents. "Proud? Of you? Never." His tone was musing, and he wasn't serious, he better not have been, in Vislyn's opinion. He pushed himself from the wall to his feet, grasping the pack and handing it back to her. "Good job."

"Good job?" She repeated, slinging the pack over her shoulder after snatching it back. "After making a comment about my _scent_ you'll have to do better than that, flyboy." She liked the sound of that, calling him flyboy, that is. Though, she wasn't sure if he was too keen on the idea or not, it really didn't matter to her at this point in time. He teased her, so she could freely tease him.

Not giving it another thought, she allowed lithely steps to carry her down the halls of the apartment complex, keeping distance between her and Carth purposefully. Vislyn really didn't feel like having to regard him if he made another comment about the stench which lingered upon her, she just wanted a nice, long shower to drown it all away.


End file.
